November 26th, 2007
Jay-Z Talks About Not Writing Down Lyrics
I don’t know why everybody is talking about they don’t write down rhymes anymore to seem cool. Most of these cats are lying and some need to start writing them down.
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November 26th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
FOR REAL
November 26th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
writing down lyrics isnt special its just a way you conditioin yourself to memorize the lyrics…even though its not on paper but in a way u write them down in your mind by repeating the lyrics over and over again and adding on bars as you go
November 26th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
alot of people do it JAY-Z is just the “poster child” for it
November 26th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Only two rappers I know that dont write r Jay-Z and lil wayne… cuz Ive actually seen videos of their studio sessions.
T.I on the other hand LMAO
November 26th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
A lot of people say they don’t write lyrics, but it’s never been validated. I personally think it’s bullshit, with the exception of Hov…The people Hov has worked with talk about how amazed they are by the way he can come up with a hit record in his head, at the drop of a dime…Pharell has validated this, Timbaland has validated this, heavy hitter and the best producer of the last 20 years RICK RUBIN has validated this (watch Fade to Black), and a whole lot of other people. This is actually the first time that I have heard Hov himself talk about it. Everyone one else is “self” proclaimed, and no one else can voutch for them, such as lil wayne and t.i.
All these other rappers try to replicate and jump on the Hov banwagon, but there can be and is only one Hov…
November 26th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
@ #5 what do u mean no one can voutch for lil wayne?
I’m guessing you haven’t been to his concerts or seen him in the booth… he really does it. Admittedly he copied from hov but he doesi it.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
only hov n biggie dont write their lyrics down and possibly wayne
since when has actually writing lyrics a bad thing?
nas writes his lyrics down and hes a legend
November 26th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
lmao does it make a difference? its just that they memorize they lyrics instead of writin it down.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
WTF!!!!??? did anybody else catch this???
Young tikes like Chris Brown and Sean Kingston even cite Hov as an inspiration for their own songwriting processes.
^^^^^^^^ they dont even write there own shit!!! sean garrett writes 4 both of those bitches SMH
November 26th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
foreal it dont make no diff. hov and wayne say they do it but really its not a big deal
November 26th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
it doesent matter if you dont write your lyrics down. people cmon… like #7 said nas writes his lyrics down and hes one of the biggest legends in history. just because you dont write your lyrics down doesesnt mean your better than the next man. its a sad day when people are bickering over whos writing down what and who isnt. the content is what is important not because you think your better just because you dont use pen and paper.
November 26th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
People Ive seen that do this are:
Jay
Wayne
T.I. (vid on youtube with Puff)
Jim Jones
n Me N My Dude Marcus
but yeah it does seem like a fad because it wasnt until i saw Jay on 60 minutes and they talked about it, and all of a sudden all of these rappers say they dont write…Freeway Beanie (writing Songs in his sleep wtf “Nothing Like It” still hot) Hell Rell Young Gunz…
Timbaland also said that Justin Timberlake Does the same thing…
but to each is own…do whatever you do
November 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Hov said a long time ago it started when he ran out of paper and had to memorize a crazy song that came to him. It was a habit that was birth by accident. These other rappers just do it to follow the great one.
Not writting the rhymes down won’t make your raps better, it might actually make it worse….eg Lil Wayne, his flow is great, but we all know there lines that we are all like what the fuck did he just say…did he just make a word up???
November 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
it dont matter if you write or not as long as you coming with great lyrics thats all that matters. thats just hov’s way of doing it now all of a sudden people acting like they dont write down lyrics like its the cool thing to do. some people need to write because they suck at doing it that way. everybody is not jay. theres nothing wrong with writing at all. pac was one of the greatest writers ever. and jay is one of the greatest rappers ever, they’re both great they just have different ways of doing things.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
haha jay was rite “I’m so far ahead of my time, I’m bout to start another life/ Look behind you, I’m bout to pass you twice”… these rappers gotta start doin their own thing cuz rite now EVERYONE except jay should be usin a pen n a pad cuz a lot of shit is weak… just my opinion………
November 26th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Other rappers NEED to write their lyrics down. Ain’t no shame in NAS’ game or Eminem (who writes religiously) or Chamillionaire or Andre3000, plus most of these lame rappers need to learn about 2nd and 3rd drafts. Trust me you think the best authors don’t re-write and re-word. Hov is in a special place. As great as Stevie Wonder or Prince was they had to write their music out.
Also if all these other rappers DON’T write their lyrics why are they such bad freestylers??? If you don’t write your lyrics down why can’t you freestyle. I am sure i can ask Hov to MC about the NFL right now, throw on a beat and i am sure he could talk about everything from Tom Brady’s excellence to Tony Romo to Devin Hester to playing on words and team names and big hits. Ask other rappers who say “i don’t write my rhymes” to do the same and their shit would sound corny. Freestyle rappers don’t make good rappers, but if u don’t write then u are suggesting that u can freestyle well (since every rapper think they are the greatest).
November 26th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Watching Fade To Black it was proof that Jay-Z was a genious he knocked out every beat he got off Kanye, Rick Ruben, Timbaland, Pharrell and also Just Blaze. The people in the room were amazed.
yea whos the nicest life of lifeless mic devices/and i dont write this i just mic this/i will it to happen/one take hove im real in this rappin/my new name is just the facts
while the rest of yall just adjust the facts/put words together, just to match/i say what i feel yall adjust to that…..
November 26th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Who really gives a f. Jay is 40 years old.. Still talkin about shyt in 88 that he seen someone else do. All of these dumb negroes need to write down their lyrics. They need to learn from 3 stack…jay should take note.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Imagine if Hov wrote his lyrics down. He could take his greatness a step further.
November 26th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
I don’t wanna imagine that. Lol. I’m ready for his a$$ to really retire. But Jay isn’t smart..he’s not a Nas or andre. He can’t articulate like they can.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
at concerts rappers perform songs “ALREADY RECORDED” you dumbass and YOU’VE only seen segments of niggas WHILE they are recording anything could of been done before hand…Not writing lyrics down it’s not some special gift or 6th sense
it’s all got to do with memory…..damn
November 26th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
#17
#2
#3
#5
#7.. ahh fuck it… everybody…lol
HAS ANYBODY THOUGHT THAT A RAPPER MIGHT WRITE IT DOWN.. MEMORIZE IT…. AND SHOW UP AT A STUDIO WITH SOME SUPERMAN NON-WRITING BS. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT JAY-Z CAME UP WITH AAAAAAAALLLLLLLL THEM SONGS OUT OF HIS HEAD… GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!! IM A HUGE JAY Z FAN.. BUT IM NOT STUPID. HOW THE HELL YOU DO THE SONG 22 TWO’S IN YOUR HEAD and count the 2’s while you are doing it… PEOPLE TODAY BELIEVE ANYTHING!!! He just building his legacy… its a gimmick but he his the best ever but i know damn well he didnt come off the dome with that.
November 26th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
kanye doesnt write down his lyrics either…which is pretty believable, although his lyrics have gotten better every album.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
this nigga Z.Davi said jim jones jus spits off the head? he does not even write his own shit max b is his ghost writer son
November 26th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
seriously……dont believe the hype…..dude rights down his lyrics….it may not be an entire verse, but, he’ll write down and idea or whatever for he can remember it later……
dont be foolish……he trying to sound like he Picaso or some shit like that…..
And some rappers just need to stop writing and rapping all together….like Jim Jones….please Quit!!!
November 26th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
yeah kanye doesnt write and neither does common
November 26th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
i heard jim jones 8 year old nephew ghostwrites for him
November 26th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
just hop off this guy for two seconds! theres no way to prove it, every1 writing he does that for sure were you in the studio when this happened? i think all of your answers will be no so how can you validate that? just because he said it? if any of us were rappers trying to hype ourselves up we would all say that. thats not to say what he spits isn’t good, its great but if you beleve this then you are are just an obsesive fan that will believe anything he says.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Jay and BIG started it
Now .. Kanye, Common, Bleek, Hope, Lil’ Wayne, Young Chris all do it now.
Mr. Timberlake even claims to do it now
November 26th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
loco
its been cosigned by all the producers hes worked wit
why else is he ur favorite rappers favorite rapper?
he makes it look so effortless…and they mad at that
November 26th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
ya’ll dudes sound like ya’ll mad at hov cuz he dont write
he’s not tryin to sound like a genius he’s just answering a question that was asked
big and jay are the only dudes i believe didnt write
jay shit is crazy
but these rappers today need to write, dipset rappers need to write it down and realize that shit is wack then step it up
November 26th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I think jay just brought it to that next level(him and big just doin it at the time)of course I heard anybody can do that but how dope is your material. Jay and Big did albums like that. Life After Death no writing that’s phenomenal right there. but yall gotta see it like there’s not writing down and your just walking around or sittin somewhere and there’s not writing down in the booth of the studio. I heard nas was doing that for the I Am album. all memorization comin up with it on the spot in the studio. instead of writing on paper, the tracks record your vocals on speaker. kinda the same thing. you could rewind the shit, build on it and spit it again. see that’s a big difference compared to if you were at the corner store comin up with a verse. I heard Jay used to drive around in his car doing that shit, comin up with it on the spot finishing tracks like that for vol. 3, off timbaland beats and shit, instrumental.it’s like a refined freestyle but you could stop and go.Jay brought that I got a whole song in my head I made to bring to the studio. that’s crazy makin packaged albums like that
November 26th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
yea jay do do it,if yall saw fade to black you would have heard how he started the first verse to dirt off your sholders then rewinded it jay don’t just write shit in his head then record it ass holes he writes it in his head (while mumbling to himself) and says it until he nails it quit hating i write songs in my head cause i have writers block… i mean shit..quit hating on him yall niggas need to change yall tampons bloody emotion bitch made ass negroz
November 27th, 2007 at 12:48 am
this nigga is a fuckin Liar
shysty ass sagittarius
November 27th, 2007 at 12:51 am
BIG Was the 1stttttttttttt person i heard that did it but there might have been a few before. RIP B.I.G.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:37 am
Big was the first MC who said he never wrote down lyrics, and I remember Jay saying he didn’t write either in a interview when Reasonable Doubt dropped.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:39 am
@ #22 Storm90057.
It is easy to believe cus it is the way he connects with the beats he is given and most of those beats he was given on Fade To Black he never had no idea about at the time so it was the first time him hearing them and you cant possibly make a record without knowing what the beat is saying. Most people that write down there lyrics write to the beat so if Jay wrote he would do the same. The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z were like that and when you have everybody that has worked with them in the studio saying it you are a hater not to believe it why would the people that see it for themselves not tell the truth about it.
There isnt nothing wrong with writing lyrics either so at the end of the day who gives a fuck!
November 27th, 2007 at 6:04 am
Biggie was the first person i ever heard of doing that . its kind of like the more time goes on the facts get lost cause alot of these young kats just believe whatever these rappers say . j wastn the first to do that . he wasnt even the first rapper to put Crystal in a video . he made it popular i give him that . but whatever people say now if you wasnt around back then they just assume its the truth .
November 27th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I LOVE U HOVIE BABY!
November 27th, 2007 at 6:35 am
funny how they didn’t ask about all the lyrics he steals from many other mc’s dead and alive thats why he dont write half the shit he says has already been said before this camels career is built off stealing lyrics,talking about selling drugs and material shit now he’s a genius this nigga is wack.write people maybe u wont sound like a stealing jackass like this nigga.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Although the no writing down process is impresive. I doesn’t mean squat. You are just as dope if you come up with slick stuff of the top or writing it down it doesn’nt make you a better MC. You just got a better memory. Some of these cats need to write as much as possible maybe the song contents will be alot better.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:46 am
here comes the hate …whew
November 27th, 2007 at 10:27 am
My B on not giving recognition to the late, great B.I.G…Him and Hov are the only two MCs, that was blessed with that true gift…Their thought process and mental capabilities are cut above the rest…Just imagine if the actually wrote shit down…WOW…
November 27th, 2007 at 10:46 am
bigg did write things down sumtimes, i remember lil cease or another rapper i cant remember who. but they was saying how quickly biggie came up wit a verse and did right there, he was smoking and he told sumone to get him a pen and right there he did a whole song in like 2 minutes and they was blown away at his process. but for the most part i dont think biggie wrote alot, maybe just a few times here and there. i cant remember anyone sayin they seen jay writing.
#40 eny-if a man makes a song and quotes 7 or 8 words from a late rapper, that means his whole career is built off of that? is that even the majority of the song? let alone the album, or career.
the funny thing is when jay quotes another old school rapper in a song, thats how u seperate the old school hiphop heads from the beginners. cuz youngings hear that quote and dont even recognize it. hov takes it back to the essence when he quotes old rhymes, back when hiphop was pure
November 27th, 2007 at 11:04 am
the point is he doesn’t just quote a couple a words he builds whole verses off of the stolen lines.im old enough to know the difference between old school and the shit he be slinging as orginal shit when it aint and to the idiots that think this camel can come up with all these songs off the top are idiots.ya act like he dont have a home where he can write and memorize shit ya think he live in a studio around his niggas all day besides they have technology now where u can say something and it records ya words as if u are wrting it all u have to do is have the damn mic connected to a computer to do it.memorizing is not a feat of genious its just take practice.damn the way people talk like this nigga is god of course no one else will ever get a chance he might as well just steal whole songs now put it on a new beat and watch all the dickriders call that original.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Blogs wouldnt be the same without niggas like ENY lol.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:54 am
more skill makes you a better mc and those memorization skills are just more skill. Jay and Big got that elephant memory. I think not writing comes more natural when u got to emcee a crowd so it could make you a better mc. there’s that deal where u write and if u don’t memorize it, u sound like u reading off the paper because u really are reading off the paper(u could hear the difference). there’s less emphasis sometimes when u read off paper. If you memorize, it’s dope how u meant it to sound dope. If u just came up with it,it’s at it’s freshest, most natural raw state with the emotions u just felt. u captured that moment with the most natural vocal tone instead of meaning to say it that way.
November 27th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
sublimnal stabs at weezyyy nd evr1 else who jumped on the band wagon of not writin rhymess. TI IS EVEN BACK TO WRITIN RHYMESS LMAOOO
November 27th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
like the The Rock said ‘IT DOESN’T MATTER’…………hov the best rapper alive, it to late to be bring him down on him not writing his own lyric……..he a business man he got money he a legend what can we do bout it….nothing
November 27th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
For whomever’s bragging that Wayne doesn’t write his down, case in point for Hov’s interview. He inspired a generation of whack rappers. In other words, you want his crown, write that shit down!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
#40 suck butt-crack! You must’ve start listening to rap when Cam put out his swagger jagger on Jay. Did you continue to listen to how all he had on Jay was explained? How Jay gave credit to whomever “1-liner” he used? Did you also go through all the other artists that constantly jack Jay?
“What More Can I Say”
(Are you not entertained?)
(Are..you..not..entertained?)
(Is this not why you’re here?)
Uh, Uh, Huh
Turn the music up
Turn me down
Guru…Lets go get ‘em again
This time it’s for the money my nigga
Brooklyn stand up
[Verse One]
There’s never been a nigga this good for this long
This hood
Or this pop, this hot
Or this strong
With so many different flows
This ones for this song
The next one I’ll switch up
This one will get bit up
These fucks
To lazy to make up shit
They crazy
They don’t…paint pictures
They just trace me
You know what
Soon they forget where they plucked
They whole style from
And try to reverse the outcome
I’m like…tough
I’M NOT A BITER
I’M A WRITER
For myself and others
I say a B.I.G. verse I’m only biggin up my brother
Biggin up my borough
I’M BIG ENOUGH TO DO IT
I’M THAT THOROUGH
PLUS I KNOW MY OWN FLOW IS FOOLISH
So them rings and things you sing about
Bring em out
It’s hard to yell when the bar-rel’s in your mouth
I’m in…New sneakers
Deuce seaters
Few Diva’s
What more can I tell you
Let me spell it for you
W-I-Double L-I-E
Nobody truer than H-O-V
And I’m back for more
New Yorks ambassador
Prime Minister back to finish my business up
[Chorus: Singing]
What more can I say?
What more can I do?
I give this all to you
I know this much is true
My Life
(Look at my life)
(See what I see)
OOOOOHHHHHHH WWWWEEEEEEE!!!!!!! DAT ‘DER IZ FIYAH!!!
No need to post the rest. You feel that heat.
Dude’s lyrics are even all over the net like no other rapper – why? – because they’re looking to jack his lyrics.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I HOPE YA’LL KNOW BIGGIE WAS THE ONE WHO KINDA STARTED HOV ON THAT. HOV HAS TOLD THE STORY MANY TIMES SO I KNOW YA HAVE HEARD IT.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
nah it was hov and big find out they both don’t write when making brooklyn’s finest.Big had an album before hov, we could say that, but I never heard big hipped Jay into not writing.
November 28th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
peeps. yall are talkn shit. how do u say he writes his lyrics? may be hard to believe but its true. it doesnt mean that every song is a freestyle. he listens to the beat, thinks abt the rhymes and spits that shit. dont knw abt weezy cos he spits crap anyways. says the same ol shit over and over. watch fade to black and see how a real mc puts it down. and for #22, 22 two’s was a freestyle just like 44 fours. dumbass
February 1st, 2008 at 1:53 am
When the F%$k is Tupac going to be mentioned in these quotes, wheres his credit. and yeah Wayne and Game shit on everyone right now,
March 13th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Jayz doesnt write anything down because he has memorized everyone elses albums and just bites off of them.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
51, First of all, jayz only gives credit after he was caught doing it. Everyone knows your suppose to give credit in the same song to the rapper you are “biggin up”.
Jayz is unoriginal and BORING! There is nothing entertaining about his stuff, and all his good stuff is just good, not because he can rap, but because the chorus is catchy. I mean one of his top 6-7 songs, hard knock life was from the musical ANNIE. That was real original.
Jayz brags about himself and his albums. Lets see how great he really is. He has done 10 albums. If he is as great as people make him out to be, they should be top sellers right? Below are the top 30 hip hop/rap selling albums of all timeIin US
Top Selling Rap Albums of all time-US Sales
1. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP – 11.601.000
2. MC Hammer – Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em – 10.000.000
3. Eminem – The Eminem Show – 9.608.000
4. Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill – 9.000.000
5. Nelly – Country Grammar – 8.369.000
6. 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin – 7.612.000
7. Will Smith – Big Willie Style – 7.322.000
8. Dr Dre – 2001 – 7.122.000
9. Vanilla Ice – To the Extreme – 7.000.000
10. Nelly – Nellyville – 6.402.000
11. Puff Daddy & The Bad Boy Family – No Way Out – 6.165.000
12. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle – 6.100.000
13. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP – 6.089.000
14. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death – 5.835.000
15. Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – 5.605.000
16. 2Pac – All Eyez On Me – 5.600.000
17. Jay-Z – Vol.2, Hard Knock Life – 5.138.000
18. Dr Dre – The Chronic – 5.100.000
19. 50 Cent – The Massacre – 5.050.000
20. Eminem – Encore – 5.020.000
21. Salt-N-Pepa – Very Necessary – 5.000.000
22. DMX – And Then There Was X – 4,853,000
23. Juvenile – 400 Degreez – 4.745.000
24. 2Pac – Greatest Hits – 4.600.414
25. Soundtrack – 8 Mile – 4,400,000
26. DMX – It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot – 4,350,000
27. Makaveli (2Pac) – Don Killuminati : The 7 Day Theory – 4.200.000
28. Outkast – Stankonia – 4.100.000
29. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready To Die – 4.000.000
30. Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life of… – 4.000.000
1/10 top 30 US, IM NOT IMPRESSED!
May 12th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
PEOPLE!! Lets not forget or avoid the fact that Biggie started this trend. Basically Jay got it from the Notorious One.